we want to get our son circumsized but don't know if we should. any advise?

[juicychops]

the doctor has tried to advise us not to as it is an unnecessary surgical procedure. My partner is circumsized and we both agree it is much cleaner and hygenic but don't know if we should do it or not. has anyone had their young son circumsized? and advise?

[pupuce]

Hmb - I am with you because whilst your child doesn't "look" like his dad he will look like his mates... and to be honest I think that is far more important!

Now I bet we've frightened Juicychops away

[happymerryberries]

at the image of ds and his mates comparing! Oh god and it will happen!

[aloha]

So it hurt him. A lot by the sound of it. I don't really go in for deliberately hurting my son for no reason - medical or religious. I am quite stunned that people do.

[juicychops]

God!! i didn't know it was such a 'bad' thing to talk about! I was all for it until i spoke to my doctor. I don't like the operation part of it thats why im asking for advice. We arn't considering it so he can 'look like his dad'.we just think its more cleaner and thats our opinion. I respect everyone has their own opinions.

[jane313]

A colleague who was american and jewish (and presumably circumsized) had his first son done but not his second. I thought that would be odd of the boys started to compare. (but not a reason to have the second done anyway).I don't know if his non american, non jewish wife or he was too traumatized by the whole thing. There was a spate of doing it here in the 60s but I can't imagine doing it to my son.

[SleepyJess]

I would never have had my son have it done for anything but health reasons. Ds has it done at 3 die to his foreskin being too tight and resulting infections. The procedure went smoothly and it's absolutely fine now.. and it certainly needed doing.. and solved the problems he was having immediately. But the healing process was a little problematic. To be honest, not wanted to tread on anyone's religious beliefs here, but IMHO, a needless cicumcison smacks of butchery.

[happymerryberries]

Its not a bad thing to discuss! It is just that some of us remember how heated it got last time

[Tissy]

kookool, firstly what is so magic about the first 40 days? I'm not aware of any evidence that says that circumcisions heal any faster then(and, by the way,I am a "health practitioner who knows anything about it"). And, if your son had an effective local anaesthetic, then there should have been no pain. I'm worried by the fact that he was screaming when you went in to him .

As for hygiene; you can agree all you like, but there is no evidence that it is more hygienic to be circumcised if the boy is taught to retract his foreskin properly (from when it retracts naturally) and wash underneath it.

[aloha]

But your 'opinion' isn't a fact, juicychops. It's more like a superstition. The bodily secretions behind a foreskin are no more 'dirty' than earwax or sebum or breastmilk. They are natural secretions that are perfectly clean and there for a reason. And to cut off part of your son's body to make him cleaner when soap and water will do the job just as well (better, actually) seems like madness to me.

[pupuce]

It's not a bad thing to discuss but I would suggest that your opinion is maybe a tad out of date!
If most Wesetrn countries don't do it... it is not because they advocate un-hygenic penises!!!!

[kookool]

Having just gone back and read the entire thread, I seem to be the only one who thinks it's ok !

I think you wanted to know from someone who has had it done, but all the replies have been from people who have NOT had it done !

juicychops, I think you should decide why exactly you want it done. If you decide that it is right, find a good medical practitioner who can do it. Check their background, etc. thoroughly before you do it. Also check the web and proper medical sources. I did a very thorough research of the medical pros and cons, and came out in favour. You may decide otherwise.

My religion does dictate it, but DH and I are both totally secular so that is not the reason we did it. We simply believe it is more hygenic. Again you may decide otherwise.

Best of luck with your decision !

[jane313]

at what ages do boys foreskins retract?

[pupuce]

I found this on the web:
The notion that any healthy part of the body should be cut off for "hygiene" would be considered outrageous and outlandish if it were not already customary (and remember, that is not why circumcision became customary; it was originally done to "cure" masturbation, then to prevent it). "To make it cleaner" is one reason female circumcision is done, where that is customary.

[happymerryberries]

To a egree it depends on a. how tight it was to start off with and b. how much they fiddle with it

And even if it doesn't retract it doesn't always mean that they have to have a circucision.

Dh had the foreskin 'freed' by a minor cut and stitch job. It now retracts just fine( and has for many years!)

[Reethi]

Ditto Dinny's comments. Why on earth is it even an consideration?!!

[juicychops]

Thanks kookool that has made me feel better after the bad comments and feedback. My son is now 10 weeks old. We was considering it while he is young so that he didnt remember it. but don't worry everyone else, i haven't made my mind up yet. I definately don't want to put my son through pain just for the fun of it, we are thinking what will be best for him

[llkjj]

About 3yo, jane313.

[SleepyJess]

Kookool. my son is circumcised and replied below.

[kookool]

Tissy - are you a health professional from a country where circunscision in a routine ? It sounds like you are not.

I have a friend who is a surgeon who consulted very up-to-date medical research on the matter before advising me. He has many surgeon friends who practice circuscision as a routine. They all agree that the first few weeks are best.

There is medical evidence which suggests the healing is much quicker in the first few weeks. Would you like me to give you some references ?

[Roobie]

It's hard to believe that the foreskin is a superfluous part of the human body - surely it protects the glans and actually keeps it clean, warm, moist and healthy? Why would anyone want to cut off a normal part of the human body that has a definite purpose?

[juicychops]

kookool, do you think 10-15 weeks is too old for him to heal quickly? It owould be great if you could give me the name of the doctor you recomend

[kookool]

juicychops - please CAT me. Thanks.

[juicychops]

Kookool, sorry, whats CAT? im new to all this

[Reethi]

Apologies if my post was a little blunt. It's just one of those those things that I can't quite get my head around.

[kookool]

Sorry, CAT stands for "Contact Another Talker" - if you go to the top of this page and click on "contact another talker", you should be able to email me via mumsnet.